Runaway Love - Melanie Harlow
This is the first book in Cherry Tree Harbor series and follows single dad, Austin, and recently single runaway bride, Veronica. After her fiance accidentally sends a sext meant for his assistant to her on their wedding day, Veronica leaves him at the alter. Only problem is that he bought her everything from her phone to their apartment so she basically is left with only the wedding dress on her back. Austin is in need of a nanny for his twins for the summer and Veronica is just the woman for the job. Like all the other Melanie Harlow books I've read, I really enjoyed this. We have great small town setting and side characters, opposites attract to the max, and chemistry sizzling off the page. I loved Veronica's storyline and how she came back from her controlling ex to find herself again. Austin toed the line of being a little too alpha-hole for me at times, but for the most part it worked. We get a great group of side characters which is always a plus in the first book of a new series. I did find myself wanting more of Austin and Veronica together doing mundane activities. It felt like if the kids were around, then Veronica was in nanny mode. But if the kids were gone, then they were jumping into bed together. We do get some scenes of them outside the house, but many of them were when they were still figuring out their feelings so they weren't actually together.
I Like You Like That - Kayla Grosse
This rockstar/bodyguard romance follows childhood friends Birdie and Liam. The two were good friends growing up ... until they weren't. Now, Bridie is a famous rock star touring the world with a stalker getting a little too close for comfort. Liam is an ex-cop who is looking for his next steps after recovering from an injury and Birdie's new bodyguard is the perfect opportunity. The two try to make the best of their new relationship dynamic but spending so much time together is bringing up old history and maybe there's a way they can move forward together. I really enjoyed this read, but felt like the plot was being pulled in two different directions. We get a bit of romantic suspense with the stalker plot but we also get a regular rockstar/bodyguard romance and the two plots weren't really well entwined for me. There were stretches of the book where I completely forgot about the stalker plot until it would just pop back up again. I loved Birdie and Liam working through their past together and working together to move forward. I'm not a big lover of rockstar romances but I thought this had a good balance of the stardom vs the backstage reality of the job which made Birdie much more grounded as a character.
Jaywalking - Rachel Ember
This MM romance is the first book in the In Step series and follows Emile and Jay. After the two have an almost-hook up, Jay walks into his first college class to find Emile is the professor. The two have an undeniable connection, but the rules of the college are clear. After a number of failed relationships, Emile is looking for something very specific in a relationship and Jay just might be that something special. I really enjoyed this read and it was much spicier than the cover art led me to believe. Jay and Emile are fantastic together but also were each very compelling characters on their own. I enjoyed the character arcs they both went through and how that led them to be together. Since the two met outside of class, the student/professor dynamic didn't ick me out like it sometimes can. Plus, Ember did a good job building up their connection to be more than just a physical attraction. I really enjoyed the way the kinkier elements were used and how this was Jay's "kinky realization". Jay and Emile aren't into the more equipment-based kink, but more so the power exchange side of things and that is a side of kink I don't see often on its own in the kinky romances I read. I did find myself wanting more of Jay and Emile just being a couple in more every-day situations to build up their relationship outside of the bedroom a bit more.
Practice Makes Perfect - Sarah Adams
This is the second book in the When in Rome series and follows Annie and Will. Annie is the quiet flower shop owner who is on a quest to find her perfect match but when she hears a date describe her as boring, she starts to think finding someone might be out of her reach. Will is the bodyguard of the pop star marrying Annie's brother and he is the opposite of Annie in just about every way. But when he agrees to help Annie with her dating and flirting, the two of them just might be more of a match than anyone expects. This is 100% in the running to be my favorite romance of the year! Annie and Will are a great example of opposites attract and I loved their entire dynamic. Adams does a great job of building up both these characters as more than their stereotypes. We got to see a little bit of Will and Annie in the first book in the series, but I didn't get a great feel for them so I was glad that we get so many details about them right at the beginning. We have a great cast of side characters, but the moments that really shine are when Will and Annie are together and let down their walls piece by piece. The dating lessons were a great mix of cute and steamy and had an excellent escalation from scene to scene. We also get personal growth outside of just romantic relationships as well.
Yours, Insatiably - Aveda Vice
This Nbi/F paranormal romance follows coworkers Avirin and Pye. In the prequel novella (
Feed) we see Pye and Avirin's first night together. This book opens not long after where Avirin and Pye are still working together. But now there's a new underlying tension between the two. Neither of them can forget their night together and the explosive connection. And when Pye starts introducing Avirin to the monster world she avoided for so long, neither can go back to the way things were. This was a great extension of the original novella and I really liked how much deeper Vice was able to explore these characters now. The world building was really well done and I enjoyed finding out more about the monster world alongside Avirin. The sexual tension was fantastic from start to finish. This was very much a lust to love situation and I really enjoyed seeing these characters give in to their emotions fully. I really love this world and would read as many more books in this universe as Vice would like to write.
His Cocky Valet - Cole McCade
This MM romance is the first in the Undue Arrogance series and follows Ash and Brand. After his father falls ill, Ash ends up becoming CEO of his father's company years before he was expecting to. His years of gallivanting around, spending his father's money, and being on the front page of the tabloids have not prepared Ash for this job. That is where Brand comes in - Brand is a professional valet and quickly starts putting Ash's life back together. The two initially butt heads, but as they spend more time together they grow closer. And when they both realize that Brand's way of caring for Ash gives them both something they deeply desire, they take their working relationship to the next level. This was an unexpectedly emotional read that I overall really enjoyed. At first, I really didn't like Ash and wasn't sure if I could get over how bratty and annoying he was. I just wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him back to acting like an actual adult needed in the situation he was in. Luckily for me, Brand did it for me. I really enjoyed how the relationship between the two men evolved over the course of the book and how they slowly fell into the romance before taking a full plunge. I did want to see more of Brand and Ash outside of the home/office to see how their dynamic would work out in a more casual setting.
Mixed Signals - B.K. Borison
This is the third book in the Lovelight series and follows Layla and Caleb. Both of them are unlucky in love but strike up a deal one night that they should go out on dates together so he can restore her faith in men and she can help his dating game. Their fake dating arrangement is all fun and games at first, but then it starts to feel a little too real. And when they revise the terms of their agreement to add in physical interactions as well, the fake dating starts to feel a little too real. This was a great fake dating romance and I was absolutely thrilled to be back in the Lovelight universe. Caleb and Layla are both such unassuming characters that really got their chance to shine as the MCs of this read. They are both on the more quiet side but obviously had a lot of love to give to the right person. I loved how up front they both were with their struggles and how they both felt like equal participants in the fake dating agreement. Their dates together were just so wonderful and when the heat between them grew, it was even better. We get a good number of cameos from the couples from the previous 2 books which is always nice.
Cleat Cute - Meryl Wilsner
This FF sport romance follows Grace and Phoebe. Grace is the team captain and veteran of the pro soccer team that Phoebe just joined. Off the field, the two are just about as different as they could be, but they start up an unlikely friendship. They graduate to friends with benefits at the same time that Grace is sidelined for an injury which puts her spot on the US National Team in jeopardy. But when they figure out they can work together instead of competing against each other, these two women just might find a connection they never expected. This was such as fun sport romance that was spicier than I initially expected. Grace and Phoebe are such great characters and I loved how different they were from each other. They each had a ton of character development throughout the story. Of course, there's a good amount of on-page soccer playing but I thought it was still really well balanced. We get a variety of soccer scenes that didn't get repetitive. I really liked how Wilsner was able to weave in tension on and off the field and how the two interact with each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. Publication date was September 19, 2023
Let Me In - R.M. Virtues
This is the third book in the Gods of Hunger series and follows friends Athena and Dionysos. After the events of the second book, Hades and the other rulers are trying to secure peace in the region. Athena and Dionysos are sent to Thassos City to negotiate a peace treaty. But when negotiations break down, Athena and Dionysos must team up to find and defeat the threat to their home. Along the way, the two finally realize that being more than friends might be the thing they've both been waiting for. This was another great entry in the Gods of Hunger series. I would recommend reading them in order because the non-romance plot does stretch across all the books. I found this to be the most well-balanced between the romantic and non-romantic plot and it felt like a more traditional romantic suspense. I also found the non-romance plot to be easier to follow than the previous book. I loved Athena and Dionysos as their own characters as well as a couple. They worked so well together and their long friendship was obvious. The sexual tension between them was well done and paid off so well once they get together. I'm so glad book 4 just released so I can continue on in the series.
The Messenger - Jessica Gadziala
This is the third book in the Professionals series and follows coworkers Jules and Kai. Kai has been in love with Jules since she started working at the office, but she never seemed to return his feelings. Now, Jules is getting married and Kai knows he'll have to let her go. But when Jules's fiance disappears and she learns the truth of who he truly was, Kai insists on helping Jules find him and get what he stole from her back. This had such great potential and build up over the previous 2 books in the series, but I didn't love the execution. We get a ton of flashbacks to Kai and Jules to show the progression of their relationship. However, these scenes took away from the current romantic suspense plot and overall really deflated any tension. I also didn't really buy into the sort of insta-love that Jules went through and I didn't have enough time with Jules and Kai as a couple to really get on board with their relationship for the long term. I did love the pining and tension we see in some of the flashbacks, but overall felt like the structure of this book really took away from the story. I am excited to continue on in the series and see if we get more of Jules and Kai's relationship that way.
